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Need 500 3.25 bpe ammo

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16 June 2017, 08:31
tomahawker
Need 500 3.25 bpe ammo
Mentioned this in different forums and got no love. Talk to me Goose. Any leads?
16 June 2017, 09:18
Huvius
You may just make it out of 470 brass until you find correct headstamp brass, if that is even important to you.
Jamison made it at one time. I have a bunch but it is all trimmed to 3"
16 June 2017, 18:09
tomahawker
I do have 470 brass. Thanks for a direction!
16 June 2017, 20:06
Bill/Oregon
What a great caliber!


There is hope, even when your brain tells you there isn’t.
– John Green, author
19 June 2017, 16:39
Roscoe Stephenson
Yes it is a great caliber. Much more whop than the .500 3" BPE.

As Huvius said, the common .470NE brass is your perfect source, as it simply is the .500 3-1/4" case necked down slightly. I blew mine out using about 12 grains of Red Dot, the rest of the case filled with Cream of Wheat or grits, and a wad of newspaper stuffed in the neck to hold everything in. Blowing them out gives you some good trigger practice.

Here's the entry from the Eley 1893 catalog:



You can see the cartridge was loaded with 142 grains of C&H #6 and either a 440 grain express hollow point bullet or the 480 grain solid cannelured (grease groove) bullet.

My rifle is an ultra-rare Dickson Round Action.



Dickson's records say my rifle was regulated for the 480 grain solid cannelured bullet.



So I had a bullet mould made and put together the exact factory load using my custom bullet ahead of 142 grains of GEOX Olde Eynsford 1-1/2 F and a generous grease cookie.



Of course, the loaded bullets are sized and greased with SPG up to the second driving band. The bare bullet above is for illustration.






The cartridges above were made using blown-out .470 brass. (Yes, you can load this cartridge just fine using 3" dies.)

The resulting loads regulate perfectly and are very accurate in my Dickson. Fouling is not a problem. The grease keeps it soft. There is no leading. Clean-up is a breeze.

I am getting a wonderful grease star at the muzzles. Here is a look after 10 shots from each barrel.



It is a great caliber and cartridge!

Curl


RoscoeStephenson.com

YOUR DOUBLE RIFLE IS YOUR BEST FRIEND.

19 June 2017, 16:57
tomahawker
Superb! Appreciate the help. I'm on it. Thanks very much Roscoe.